The present invention relates to a mounting system for a vehicle airbag module and particularly to an airbag module for mounting in the instrument panel or doors.
Instrument panel mounted airbags for use on the passenger side of a vehicle are typically secured to the instrument trim panel by means of metal or plastic brackets. Three brackets are usually required, one extending across the top of the airbag module and two PAB (passenger airbag brackets) below the airbag module. Thus, three brackets with multiple fasteners are employed. As a result, the installation of the airbag module in a vehicle is somewhat labor intensive. With the additional cost of the brackets and fasteners, such installations can be relatively expensive. Further, the brackets and fasteners add undesirable weight to the vehicle. With open spaced-apart brackets mounting the airbag module, upon impact and deployment of the airbag, the airbag may have a tendency to deploy somewhat into the instrument panel area as opposed to outwardly into the passenger space. As a result, the spaced bracket mounting system may not be ideal for the mounting of airbags in an instrument panel or in other areas of a vehicle, such as the doors for side impact airbags. Also, the mounting system must be designed to absorb head impacts in situations where the airbag is not deployed.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a less expensive, lighter weight airbag module mounting system which is less labor intensive for installation.
The mounting system of the present invention satisfies this need by providing a cradle surrounding the airbag module which is preformed to slide within an instrument panel interlocking the combined airbag module and cradle to the instrument panel without the need for separate fasteners or installation steps. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cradle was formed of a foam polymeric material and in a most preferred embodiment of the invention it was formed of expanded polypropylene to enclose the airbag module on all sides, thereby leaving only the front activation surface of the airbag exposed for deployment upon impact. In some embodiments of the invention, the airbag module can be integrated with the foam polymeric cradle and sold as a single unit to the OEM manufacture for installation in a vehicle. In all embodiments, the cradle is shaped to receive an airbag module in close contact surrounding five of the sides thereof and includes mounting structure which interengages the instrument trim panel to mount the cradle to the trim panel and receive the airbag module within the cradle. With such a system, therefore, the mounting of an airbag, for example, in an instrument panel or a door panel of a vehicle is facilitated, and the airbag module is substantially continuously enclosed on all sides except the operational front deployment side. The cradle is made of an energy absorbing foam polymeric material to also absorb head impacts in the event the airbag does not deploy. Such a structure thereby enhances the performance of the airbag module while reducing the cost of installation, the weight of the vehicle, and results in an overall reduction of cost of the vehicle.
These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description thereof together with reference to the accompanying drawings.